Combined rooter and trench forming plow



June 26, 1951 G. B. PACE 2,558,692

COMBINED ROOTER AND TRENCH FORMING PLOW Filed June 20, 1945 4Sheets-Sheet 1 anew/v0 5. PA 05 June 26, 1951 G. B. PACE COMBINED ROOTERvAND TRENCH FORMING PLOW 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 20, 1945 11vucnfc-L GAR]. A ND 5. PACE June 26, 1951 G. B. PACE 2,558,692

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June 26, 1951 e. B. PACE COMBINED ROOTER AND TRENCH FORMING PLOW 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 20, 1945 0 r a w 4 z r I a T 01 P a 4 2 .fi Ma 4 {W a M N. M w w W 4 w w an ua/wbom GARLAND 5.

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Patented June 26, 1951 ITED STATES COMBINED ROOTER AND TRENCH FORMINGPLOW Garland B. Pace, Camp Hill, Pa., assignor to Pipe Line Constructionand Drilling Company, Pineville, W. Va., a corporation of DelawareApplication June 20, 1945, Serial No. 600,494

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in excavating apparatus and moreparticularly to an apparatus for forming relatively deep trenches toreceive pipe lines or the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide a combined rooter andtrench forming plow which in a single pass will form a trench of thedesired width and depth in rocky or other soil, and at the same timeelevate and deposit the excavated material to either side of and at asufficient distance from the trench to provide operating space for apipe-laying machine, thereby saving the use of several machines and muchtime, labor, and expense in forming the trench and the subsequent layingof the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter specified in which the ground excavating parts are sosupported and arranged as to afford free or unobstructed elevation anddischarge of the excavated material from the trench.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthecharacter indicated wherein the rooter and the trench forming plow maybe readily detached from their supporting structures for replacement orreconditioning.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthe character specified including a wheeled support which is adjustableto raise and lower the apparatus to inoperative and operative positionsand to regulate the operating depths of the rooter and plow.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification andwherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus in operative trenchforming position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus in inoperative ortransporting position.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on theline 4-4 of Figure 2, looking rearwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken substantially onthe line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary rear elevation looking forwardly fromimmediately behind the moldboards.

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section taken through the combinedplow drawbar and distributing plate on the line 1-! of Figure 1 andlooking rearwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the rooter tooth.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like partsthroughout, the numeral 8 generally designates the main frame of theapparatus having a forwardly projecting tongue 9 and a lateral extensionI!) at each side thereof.

I 2 The free end of the tongue is provided with suitable hitch means 9aadapted to be connected to a tractor or other power means.

A rigid, transversely disposed hollow arch ll rises centrally from therear end portion of the frame 8 to which it is permanently secured bywelding or other suitable means. As best shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5,the legs 52 of the arch progressively increase in width upwardly andrearwardly and merge into the rearwardly enlarged crown portion i3 inwhich is anchored a rigid substantially horizontal plow supporting beam14 that extends an appreciable distance rearwardly beyond the frame 8and terminates in an enlarged rear end portion H5. The sides of theenlarged rear end portion I5 carry downwardly extending parallelapertured plates l6 joined by a gusset plate I? and forming an anchoringmeans to which a trench forming plow generally designated by the numeralI8 is detachably secured in a manner to be presently described.

The plow It comprises principally a rearwardly inclined body I!) andrearwardly diverging moldboards 23 rigidly joined in any suitablemanner, such as by welding, to the upper end portion of the body l9. Themoldboards 20 carry at their rear sides vertically extending aperturedattaching plates 2! which are bolted or otherwise detachably connectedas at 22 to the side plates l 6 depending from the plow beam M. AU-shaped attaching clamp 23 on the upper forward ends of the moldboardsis secured to the sides of the beam I4 by fastening elements 26 toprovide additional means to firmly but detachably connect the plow toits supporting beam.

As clearly shown in Figures i and 7, the plow body l9 progressivelyincreases in width from its lower enci upwardly wnereby the sides 25thereof are downwardly tapered. To the tapering sid-esare removablysecured by fastening elements 26 trench side wall cutter blades 21 whosefront edges project forwardly beyond the rearwardly inclined earthelevating front face or surface 28 of the plow body as shown in Figures1 and 5. bolted as at 3! to the lower end of the plow body l9. Thus, itwill be seen that the trench produced by the plow will have downwardlyconverging side walls and a flat bottom.

For breaking up or displacing rocks, cutting roots and loosening thesoil in advance of the plow, there is provided a rooter tooth 32disposed in' longitudinal alignment with the plow. This tooth preferablyis in the form of a solid elongated body having a tapered upper end 33firmly seated in a snugly conforming socket 34 formed in the center ofthe rear end portion of the main frame 8. As shown in Figure 5-, aremovable pin 35 supported in a riser 36 and passing through an openingin the upper end of the tooth serves to detachably secure the tooth inplace. The

A trench bottom cutter blade 30 is.

receive the reduced triangular lower terminal 38,

of the tooth 32 and secured in place by a pin or bolt 39. 1

Extending between and connecting the roote tooth 32 and the plow I8 is acombined drawbar and distributing member 43 in the form of a heavy platearranged in a vertical plane and of sufficient width to act inconjunction with the rooter tooth and the plow to divide the excavatedmaterial into two substantially equal streams. The forward end of themember 40 is detachably connected to the rooter tooth 32 by means ofplates 41 on the tooth and bolts 42 passing through the plates and themember 40, and the rear end of the member fill is welded or otherwiserigidly secured to the center of the earth elevating face 28 of theplow.

The rigidity of the arch and beam structure is increased by diagonalbraces 43 secured to the sides of the tongue 9 and the front of the archI I; and the overall rigidity of the plow in action is assured by thedrawbar connection between the plow and the rigidly mounted rooter tooth32.

By reference to Figure 1, wherein the operative trench forming positionof the apparatus is illustrated, it will be seen that the excavatedmaterial is first raised to the ground level by the inclined frontelevating surface 28 of the plow and is then directed laterally by theunusually large size rearwardly diverging moldboards to be deposited onthe ground at substantial distances from the trench so as to offer nointerference to the subsequent pipe laying operation. The arrangement ofthe plow and its supporting means is such that a relatively long andhigh space is provided for the free or unobstructed movement of theexcavated material.

The wheeled support for the apparatus includes ground engaging wheelsrotatably mounted in the short arms at of bell-crank levers 4T pivotedat 48 to the lateral extensions 19 of the main frame 8. The long arms 49of the levers 41 are joined by a cross bar 53 which carries a multiplesheave i companion to a similar sheave 52 on the forward portion of thetongue 9. An operating cable 53 is trained over the sheaves 5| and 52and extends forwardly to suitable operating means on the tractor orother power machine whereby the bell-crank levers and hence the groundengaging wheels may be swung to raise and lower the apparatus toinoperative and operative positions.

To secure the apparatus in its transport or inoperative position, thetongue 9 and the cross bar 50 are provided with lugs and 55,respectively, having apertures adapted to be brought into registrationfor the reception of a locking pin or bolt 56, as shown in Figures 2 and3.

I claim:

1. An excavating apparatus for forming a trench in a single passcomprising a frame adapted for connection to power means, a rooter toothfixed to depend from said frame, plow supporting means carried by saidframe and projecting rearwardly therefrom at an elevation considerablyabove said frame, a trench shaping plow suspended from said supportingmeans in widely spaced trailing relation to said rooter tooth to providea relatively long and high space for the unobstructed movement of theexcavated material, said plow including an inclined earth elevatingportion having trench wall shaping cutters at its sides and a trenchbottom cutter at its lower end, a wheeled support for said frame, and arigid vertically disposed plate connected at one end to said rootertooth and at its opposite end to the inclined earth elevating portion ofsaid plow, said plate acting as a drawbar and also as means to dividethe excavated material into two streams.

2. An excavating apparatus for forming a trench in a single passcomprising a substantially 'horizontal frame adapted for connection topower means, ground engaging wheels supporting said frame for movementalong the ground, a rooter tooth fixed to depend from said frame, asubstantially horizontal plow supporting beam carried by said frame andprojecting rearwardly therefrom at an elevation considerably above saidframe, a trench shaping and earth elevating plow suspended from saidbeam in widely spaced trailing relation to said rooter tooth and saidframe to provide a relatively long and high space for the unobstructedmovement of the earth loosened by said rooter tooth and operated on bysaid plow as the apparatus is moved forwardly in operative position, andmeans for adjusting said ground engaging wheels to regulate theoperating depths of said rooter tooth and plow and to elevate said toothand plow to inoperative positions above the surface of the ground, and acombined drawbar and distributing member extending between and connectedto said rooter tooth and said plow.

3. An excavating apparatus for forming a trench in a single passcomprising a substantially horizontal frame adapted for connection topower means, ground engaging wheels supporting said frame for movementalong the ground, a rooter tooth fixed to depend from said frame, asubstantially horizontal plow supporting beam carried by said frame andprojecting rearwardly therefrom at an elevation considerably above saidframe, a trench shaping and earth elevating plow suspended from saidbeam in widely spaced trailing relation to said rooter tooth to providea relatively long and high space for the unobstructed movement of theearth loosened by said rooter tooth and operated on by said plow as theapparatus is moved forwardly inoperative position, said plow includingan inclined elevating portion having trench wall shaping cutters at itssides and a trench bottom cutter at its lower end, a rigid verticallydisposed plate connected at one end to said rooter tooth and at itsopposite end to the inclined elevating portion of said plow, said plateacting as a drawbar and also as means to divide the excavated materialinto two streams, and rearwardly diverging moldboards on said plowbetween said inclined elevating portion and said beam for directing thetwo streams of excavated material laterally to fall clear onto theground at opposite sides of and at substantial distances from thetrench.

GARLAND B. PACE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 487,869 Montgomery Dec. 13, 1892943,897 Sedell Dec. 21, 1909 1,251,186 Currier Dec. 25, 1917 2,018,138Le'Iourneau Oct. 22, 193-5

